Among older adults, falls are the l most common cause of injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.

Falls don't always happen because of clumsiness. Often times older people can fall because of underlying heart problem, like a slow heart rate. This is why Dr. Carlos Cuello says if your loved is prone to falls be sure they get thoroughly checked out by their physician. "The problem is that they break one hip, you replace it and then they go home without the pacemaker and they come back with the other hip broken."

Senior Community Health Nursing Supervisor Glenda Wolnick explains that other times they can fall easily because of issues in their own homes. Sometimes it just takes adding some extra touches around the house to make things safer. "Grab bars are really important for people who have problems with balance.

And often times a person would come in and actually analyze what an older person might need." Glenda says that many of these injuries are from hazards that are easy to overlook, but once you are aware of them, they can be easy to fix. "You need to make sure tat the rugs are secure and that everything is marked with the right kinds of paint. Like if they have a step-down or anything like that they need to make sure they can see that step-down."

Glenda also says that the bathroom is another common place for older folks to run into trouble. "They may need a different type of shower, they need a different type of commode that they could sit on that they wouldn't be injured."

And expense of these safety items doesn't have to be an issues, you can go to Goodwill, yard sales and the classified ads; or check with elder services in your area.

Fractures are the most serious consequences of falls. Approximately 250,000 hip fractures, the most serious fracture, occur each year among people over the age of 65.